Justice for rape victims in the DRC

DRC rape victim

Following years of violent sexual crimes against women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the government with the technical and logistical support of the United Nations has decided to send a strong signal to the perpetrators: that no political or military leader is above the law.

So far, five military courts have prosecuted and charged several Congolese army officers for ordering and carrying out mass rapes and other violations.

Leila Zerrougui, the UN’s Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary General in the DRC, spoke to Daniel Dickinson about efforts to break the cycle of impunity. She began by reflecting on the reasons behind the prevalence and intensity of rape in the Congo.